2013 Northeast Ohio Cross Country Camp

The 34th Annual NEO CC Camp:

Week I - July 21-26, 2013 (FULL)

Week II - July 28 - August 2, 2013 (FULL)

2013 Camp Roster (deposit was received)

Both weeks of the 2013 NEO CC Camp are now FULL. Registrations will still be accepted for the waiting list and you will be notified if any spots open up. A $50 deposit is still required to be on the waiting list. All checks will be returned if a spot is not available.

Camp deposit checks are to be made out to:

"Gopher Running" and mailed to:

NEO XC Camp

2533 Davis Peck Road

Cortland, OH 44410

These three forms must be completed and mailed in together by July 1st:

OSHAA Physical Form - requires doctor signature - a copy from the school is good

Camp Rules Form - requires parental signature

Camp Background Information Form

Camp Information Letters - What to bring, when to arrive, where to go and how to get there:

2013 Week 1 Information Letter

2013 Week 2 Information Letter

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Click here to download 2013 Camp Brochure

Camp Information

Registration in the 2013 NE Ohio CC Camp requires completing the online registration form (link above) and mailing in a minimum $50 non-refundable deposit (address provided after completing form). The total cost of the camp is $270 ($285 for teams staying in the White House) per runner, the balance being due upon check-in at camp or mailed in prior to camp registration. Registrants will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis until the camp capacity of 230 registrants is reached. Last year this limit was reached by the last week of February. The NE Ohio CC Camp reserves the right to reject registrations to the camp to comply with both safety and disciplinary standards.
The NE Ohio CC Camp will be held at Badger Meadows Camp in Orangeville, OH, 10 miles east of Cortland. The 240 acre camp offers fine facilities including an Olympic size swimming pool, volleyball and basketball. The camp is in a rural setting, offering trails and rural roads for training. Runners will sleep on bunks in cabins that hold 12-15 campers. The camp is owned by the Presbyterian Church. Campers are expected to respect the facility and treat it accordingly.
Clinics at camp will be over topics including training, racing, diet, psychology of running, stretching, body composition, form, injuries, training logs and shoes.
Nightly speakers discussing these and other topics will include college coaches, exercise physiologist, athletic trainers, shoe experts and top national runners.
Camp participants will also receive: souvenir camp Dri-Fit T-Shirt, a packet of running related gifts, booklet of discussion topic handouts, and three meals per day.

Two-Time World Cross Country Champion Craig Virgin signs autographs at 2010 camp.

The Philosophy

The directors and staff of the NE Ohio CC Camp share the philosophy that lasting success in distance running must come from within the athlete. Regardless of the enthusiasm that coaches and parents share for the runner, the level of success will ultimately depend upon the runner's dedication and determination. The camp is thereby committed to instilling an attitude of enjoyment in each runner. For only when the runner learns a love of the sport, will they develop a work ethic allowing them to establish challenging goals and put forth the necessary training to accomplish these goals. The camp is geared toward the junior high and high school runner that has a positive attitude towards self improvement through training designed to be strenuous yet rewarding. The training runs at the camp will be broken into low, intermediate and upper mileages. Each runner should be in adequate condition to run a minimum of 6 miles each day, with the intermediate group covering an average of 8 miles each day and the upper group 10-12 miles.

The Directors

2013 will mark the 34th year for the NE Ohio CC Camp. Directors will be Ted Rupe, Chris Rupe and Fred Kieser. This trio along with the accompanying staff represents some of the finest runners and coaches in the Midwest United States.

Ted Rupe

In his 40 years of competition and coaching, Ted has accumulated some fine credentials. He was the 1972 State CC Champion in Div. A, leading his team to the state title. He was world ranked in the 10 K in 1977, won the Cleveland Revco Marathon in 1986 and the 1986 Moscow Peace Race. As a coach, his teams qualified for 20 straight state CC championships from 1990 through 2009, 14 of these teams finished in the top 4 at the Ohio State Championships, including a 1997, 2002, 2003 and 2005 State Championship and runners up in 1990, 1998 and 2001. He also coached the 2000 track team that tied for a state championship. He was selected as Ohio's High School CC Coach of the Year for 1997-1998. Ted was inducted into the Ohio Track and Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2003 for his accomplishments.

Chris Rupe

Chris boasts a 14:37 5k, and 24:10 for 5 miles and 2:21 marathon. He has finished as top Ohioan twice at Cleveland Marathon and twice at Columbus Marathon. Recently at McDonald HS he has coached 5 state championship 4x800 relay teams and state champions Becky Testa, Stuart Henderson and state record holder Ed Stonestreet. His 1999 Track and Cross Country teams were both state champions. His 2001, 2004 and 2011 CC Teams also won the state championship, while his 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2012 squads were runners-up. Chris was inducted into the Ohio Track and Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2013 for his accomplishments.

Fred Kieser

Fred has had a long career as a runner and coach. As a high school athlete his senior year at Kirtland he finished 2nd in cross country and was on the winning 4 x 800 meter relay. Then at Miami University he qualified for the NCAA championships in cross country and won his conference 3000m steeplechase title twice. After college Fred found his niche on the roads, especially in the marathon where he has won 3 big city marathons, qualified for two Olympic Marathon Trials, and has a PR of 2:17:20. Even at the masters level, Fred continues to compete including a masters national championship in the 15k, a second place in the 10k, and a 3rd place at the masters cross country meet. He coaches track and cross country at Saint Joseph Academy in Clevelad where his teams have qualified to 7 state meets with a best finish of 4th place.

The Staff

Back Row - Ted Rupe, Michelle Rupe, Tara Gruskiewcz, Fred Kieser, Joe Eby, Emil Heineking, Chad Balyo, Brad Adams, Jason Headman

Middle Row - Chris Rupe, Adam Bray, Craig Virgin, Craig Rupe, Cory Leslie, Colby Alexander, Eric Rupe, Andy Arnio, Brad Hunt

Front Row - Elise Beattie, Bridget Franek, Rachel Zubricky, Kelly Gallagher, Allison Peare, Bekka Simko

Above is the staff from the 2010 NE Ohio CC Camp. The staff for the 2013 NE Ohio CC Camp will include many of the same staff with some additions:

Cory Leslie

Graduating senior from Sandusky Perkins HS - 2007 Div II CC State Champion, 2007 State Track 1600m champion

Bridget Franek

Sophomore at Penn State where she qualified for the NCAA CC Nationals - Bridgette holds the Ohio State Record in the 1600m in 4:45.68 which she ran in the 2005 State Track Meet. She also won the 2005 State Cross Country Title in 17:34 and qualified for the 2005 Foot Locker Nationals.

Emil Heineking

'06 State CC Champion and 3200m Champion, '06 Footlocker Finalist. Currently a junior at University of Virginia where he won the 2009 ACC individual CC title. Three time All-American in cross country, finished 3rd at the 2008 USA Junior Cross Country Championships, represented US in 2008 World Junior Cross Country Championships in Scotland where he finished 26th.

Adam Bray

2008 graduate of University of Akron where he competed in track and cross country. Adam since college, Adam has coached disance runners at The University of Maryland and currently at The University of Illinois.

Rick Williamson

Has run 3:51 for 1500 and 14:35 for 5K. Formerly men's distance coach at Akron University and at Aurora High School. Currently coaching at Northwood University in Michigan.

Matt Folk

Graduate of Youngstown State University where he now coaches. Matt has been named Ohio Runner of Year numerous times - competed in 2004 and 2008 Olympic Trials in the marathon.

Brad Hunt

Distance coach at University of Virginia. Hunt placed fourth in the 800 meters and sixth in the mile at the 1997 Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships. He also was fourth in the 1,500 meters and sixth in the 800 meters at the 1997 MAC Outdoor Championships. Hunt also recorded the fourth-fastest indoor 800-meter time (1:52.81) in Kent State history during the 1996-97 campaign.

Craig Rupe

Completing senior year at University of Akron where he lettered in cross country and track and was CC Co-Captain. Was 1st Team All-Ohio as a senior in CC at Maplewood and was a member of two state championship CC teams and one track team.

Tara Gruskiewicz

Graduate of Baldwin Wallace College where she competed in track and cross country. Currently Coach at Avon HS. Ran 2:53 marathon last fall in Columbus.

2008 Staff Members Bridget Franek, Cory Leslie, Michelle Sikes, Pat Sovacool and Chad Balyo in a question answer session with runners.

Updates on staff changes will be posted as soon as they become available